All That Remains
by i luv niki4444
Summary: Chaos has erupted in Urû'baen, but no more so than it has in the Varden. Kagome, an enemy of the rebellion, has found herself in their hands. Now, the choice is left to a seventeen year old girl. Kill her, or let her live? Sequel of: When All Is Forgotten
1. Have You Heard the Rumors

_"People are supposed to fear the unknown, but ignorance is bliss when knowledge is so damn frightening."_

\- Laurell K. Hamilton

* * *

**_All That Remains_**

_Prologue: Have You Heard the Rumors_

* * *

Their squadron felt alien.

The place bustled with unusual activity, in such a way that it both confused and excited her. Yet, somehow, it made the hair on her arms rise uneasily.

"Melanie!"

She blinked, meeting the eyes of a cute, blushing blond. Her best friend, "What's going on Hannah?" She smirked, almost evilly, as the other girl looked down at her armoured feet and rubbed her arms. The morning air was a bit chilly.

"I heard that Kagome-" Her delight only heightened as the name left her friend's lips. Kagome had become a good friend of both of them over the months they had been together. She had disappeared almost two weeks before, leaving them to worry over her endlessly. Rumor had it that King Galbatorix had sent her on a mission _personally_.

"Uh, Mel?" Hannah sounded uncomfortable, and she snapped from her reverie to meet her dark green eyes. "Are you listening?"

She stayed quiet or only a moment, then, a deep grin appeared on her face, "You said Kagome's coming home, right?" She felt oddly proud of her stupendous deduction skills, even when the expression on Hannah's face clearly showed that she was wrong.

_Oh well, you win some, you lose some._ She considered wistfully, the smile on her face never faltered.

"No, she… s-she's gone!" She was sure Hannah would have continued had a tall shadow not fallen over her form. She eyes locked with the deep blue, feline eyes of an elf. Not just any elf though; Kagome's terrifying boyfriend. Melanie had never gotten on with him, -he was too quiet for her liking- but she had caught Kagome sneaking out passed curfew many times to meet up with him.

Of course, she liked him no more when his hand closed around Hannah's arm like a steel clasp and he dragged her friend into the nearest building – the changing quarters. Had she not been so flustered, she would have marveled and questioned his ability to open the heavy doors while Hannah struggled and bit at him.

She stared as the door closed for a full second, before she flung the door open after him, and stormed inside. Three soldiers from their squad stood stock still inside, looking between Dewain's furious expression to hers and inching toward the doors.

In the end, they ran for the exit, and Hannah shoved Dewain away. This time, he didn't try to stop her.

"What's your problem asshole?!" There were tears in her friend's eyes and her hands balled into tight fists.

In answer, Dewain raised a hand and touched his finger to the right side of his chest; then the left. After, he kissed his fingers and laid them, open, atop his other hand.

Melanie relaxed, forgetting her anger and settling into curious neutrality. His gesture was used around their camp as a universal way of saying that no harm would come from the one who used it.

She was satisfied when, despite it, Hannah walked backwards until they stood side-by-side. "So then, what do you want?"

"You shouldn't be talking about her," He softly replied, "it's dangerous." His head shook, and he slowly added, "If the captain heard you…"

While Melanie didn't know what he spoke of, Hannah tensed at her side. She looked at her curiously, "What's going on?"

"…Kagome betrayed his majesty. She… she's working with the Varden."

She didn't have time to absorb the statement; nor the time to decide how she felt about it.

For, as she finished her sentence, screams began to rip through the air.

* * *

_-Niki_


	2. Hide a Little Longer

_"Betrayal is an ironic thing. He or she betrays you then you betray yourself. You think you're showing strength with your anger, but in reality you're showing how much you still care."_

\- Shannon L. Alder

* * *

**_All That Remains_**

_Chapter 1: Hide a Little Longer_

* * *

When Kagome opened her eyes, she knew something was not right; she could not feel Cinder nearby. Her body felt weighed down, and her mind unfocused. They had given her drugs again.

…She did not remember having done something to earn her king's punishment.

She tried to sit up, but a flare of pain in her stomach made her sink back onto the cold floor she laid on. Her head met a small pillow, and she frowned, muttering, "That's new."

A throb in her arm made her hiss, and she lifted it to examine the damage. Someone must have wrapped bandages around it while she slept; she could not see her wound because of the firmly tucked strips of material.

She used her other hand to lift herself up, expecting the pain from her abdomen this time, and eyed the dark, musty dungeon she was in. Cold stone surrounded her, yet somehow they seemed different than she remembered.

A cup of water lay a few feet from her, along with a loaf of bread. Both likely contained more of whatever drug they had given her this time. In the corner of the room, she noticed a man sleeping against the wall. He seemed familiar to her; though she didn't know why.

She felt like she should.

The chains wrapped around her wrists clicked together, and he stirred. His eyes, cold steel, opened slowly and his face looked weighed down by a serious nature, despite having just woken.

Her head tilted, "So what did you do?" she asked, for surely he had done something –probably a theft. He was not dressed like a guard, and Galbatorix would not put a soldier so close to her.

He had probably taken something from a local bakery – no, that would not warrant him a place in the castle prison… he would be taken to the outer rim of the city.

He must have attempted to take something from Galbatorix himself.

Their eyes met, and his lips turned down into a scowl.

* * *

_Her back hit the stonewall beside it and she slid down onto the ground. Her nose wrinkled as smoke invaded her nostrils, and flames danced across the battlefield. Yards away, she could see Urgals smashing Urgals, and men downing the survivors. One man in particular, was leading a wave across the battlefield. _

_She could tell by his style that he had been trained in swordsmanship. He was fluid and agile, unlike most of the men clobbering away on the battlefield. His head angled toward her, and, even as far away as he was, she could see his lips turn downward in a scowl._

* * *

"_You!_" Her eyes widened and she stiffened. _So it wasn't a dream! _Did that mean that he was her guard – was she in the **Varden's** dungeon?

She must have been; it would explain why she was suddenly pillow-worthy.

Galbatorix never gave prisoners pillows.

The man before her ignored her gaping, angry expression and stood. His back popped loudly as he stretched his sides, and then he walked to their cell door - heavy iron- and banged on it.

Footsteps echoed from outside, and, soon enough, a small, harsh face was staring at them suspiciously from a barred window in the door.

"The girl is awake." Her companion's remark was terse. She could not see his expression, but she could tell he was grumpy.

"Ai, I have eyes," grumbled the guard, "I'll send word to Ajihad."

She watched as the guard received a nod and walked away, sending hard jolts through the floor long after he had faded from her view.

She fought to keep her expression impassive as he turned around and locked eyes with her. His arms crossed and he simply stood there.

She stared back.

She was not sure how much time passed; it could have been minutes – or even hours. He eventually sat against the wall, and her screaming stomach caused her to lie down again.

They did not speak, and her thoughts began to wander to other things…Eragon and Brom.

If she saw them again, what would happen? She could remember bits and pieces of the battle, and she clearly recalled trying to strangle the later of the two. Would that happen a second time; or maybe Brom would not give her the chance to try.

She shook that thought away and closed it into a sealed box; preferring instead to trail her eyes along the dark grey ceiling. She memorized the small cracks and larger ones, even going so far to find the patches of darker and lighter areas.

Eventually, she grew bored with that, closed her eyes, and listened intently to her companion's even breaths.

If she were not so sure of his skill, she might have assumed he was asleep. – There was no way, she knew, because he would be acutely aware that she was a Rider.

He had to know that even wounded and drugged she was dangerous – or at least assumed it in some respect. However, if he knew how much her immunity toward potent drugs had increased over the last few months…

He certainly would not be closing his eyes around her.

Already, her thoughts were clearing of their unfocused nature, freeing little wisps of magic to her control. Her thoughts would only become clearer, meaning she could only become stronger while she waited.

Escapes were already lining up in her brain. She learned long ago to consider every aspect when creating a strategy – it was the second lesson Galbatorix instilled in her mind.

The first was cruelty.

Cinder was a slump in her little plan; her mind was not focused enough to feel his presence as of yet. Where would they have placed him? The dragon hold seemed like an obvious choice, but they would not be able to contain him there.

Voices snapped her from her thoughts, along with echoed footsteps. She opened her eyes and sat up – just a bit too fast. Her stomach throbbed from the movement, but she stayed sitting.

Her companion stood at the same time as the guard's face poked into the window again. "Is she secure?"

"Give me a second." He grumbled, and his stern face pushed into a frown. He approached her stiffly, and knelt by her arm. His fingers, long and tan, wrapped around her injured forearm and he grimly inspected the chains that wrapped around her tiny wrists. She was sure she could slip through them, if she truly wished it, "You couldn't have spared five minutes to find something that fit her?" he shook his head, muttering, and snatched her other arm from where it held her up.

She barely managed to catch herself, and her stomach pulsed again; her body's silent warning of impending hurt. She fought back a snarl and, again, forced a neutral expression onto her face.

Minutes passed and the man patted down her body, causing a small blush to rise to her cheeks unwarranted. The Varden had dressed her while she slept; did he think she was capable of conjuring weapons at will? Still, as foolish as he seemed, she admired the effort. If only he was so thorough with her magic.

Though she did get the impression, if he had his way, they would have put enough drugs in her system to make her comatose.

"Are you almost done boy," replied the grisly voice she had come to know as Brom's, "this is becoming silly."

Her companion snorted, flicking the dark brown hair from his eyes, and pushed himself off his knees. "She's clear."

_Obviously. _

She dropped back onto the floor and attempted to rub her bandaged arm, but in the attempt, realized that she could not reach that far.

Then, the door opened, and anxiety started fluttering in her chest. The box of doubt she had previously locked, once again opened, now with a foreboding confirmation.

Brom had come to kill her.

The space between her body and the door became a vast wasteland, and it only seemed more ominous with every gaping moment.

She felt as though she had been plunged into ice-cold water, goose bumps had risen on her arms and her hair stood on end. Multiple pairs of footsteps echoed through the room; loud and muffled at the same time.

She swallowed heavily as Brom's face entered her field of vision, and mentally prepared herself for what was to come. Would there be accusations; would he attempt to hurt her mentally before he ended it all?

"… She's wounded," he sighed, shaking his head, "how much longer will Angela be busy?"

"Eragon's condition hasn't stabilized yet." A man sneered; he was tall and skinny. Another man, identical to him, stood at his side. "We don't have time to spare for the king's dog."

"Enough." The final newcomer said. He was only inches shorter than the twins that he pushed passed, and his form was bulky. He seemed tired, dark circles were clear under his impossibly dark eyes. The black armour he wore covered his caramel skin, and was littered with grime from the battle. Everything about the man screamed authority, and she was not surprised when the twins straightened as if trying to put themselves above him.

His eyes landed on hers, and she pulled herself up, sticking her chin out stubbornly. Again, she had to remind herself to keep a neutral expression. "Kagome, that is your name?" he replied quietly; his voice flowed like water and reminded her oddly of Eragon. She didn't move to acknowledge his question, so he continued after pause, "I am Ajihad. I'm here to ask you a few questions."

"She won't answer honestly," snapped one of the twins, "her mind will not lie; allow us to inspec-"

The look that followed was almost worthy of Durza's glares, and it successfully cut off his sentence. The twins backed away, until they were nearly to the cell door, then he turned back to her, "Tell me what went on in Cantos."

She did not reply, but she could tell he noticed her body become rigid.

"Did you destroy the city?"

Her eyes flashed to Brom, who now kneeled only a foot away. His hand gently closed around hers, and he nodded to her. _Do they think I'm stupid? _Perhaps they did, the king had not made her swear many oaths, but several commanded that she guard his secrets.

And how could she trust Brom anyway? According to King Galbatorix, he had murdered his best friend in cold blood.

Staring into his wise, blue eyes, she could not imagine he had done anything of the sort. That was so unlike the person she had grown to know.

… But her king had spoken in the ancient language, and one cannot use those words to tell untruths.

"Do you serve the king of your own volition?" She snapped from her thoughts as the leader of the Varden knelt beside her, grabbed her wrist, and shook her harshly.

She could see Ajihad becoming increasingly frustrated by her silence, and, apparently, so could Brom, "Give us a few minutes," he quietly asked, then added, "Alone."

_He's so sure I'll spill my guts to him. _She really hoped he enjoyed disappointment.

"You have five." Answered the Varden's leader, and the gesture made her wonder just how well he knew Brom. He would not have trusted just anyone with a captive dragon rider.

He gestured for the twins to leave, before making eye contact with the grey-eyed man she had woken up near. He was more reluctant to leave, but, after minutes had passed, she was alone with Brom.

He remained silent for a while, and his hand still held hers loosely – as though to remind her of his presence.

Then, he began to speak. Hours passed as he told tales of the ancient dragons that had once roamed Alagaësia, and only once did Ajihad return. He took one look at them, and disappeared.

Tales of beauty and strength, and those of sadness and death enraptured her. He had stopped once, as his voice grew weary, and she had silently given him the water that lay close to her hand.

He sipped it for several seconds and continued. His story was one she recognized as a faint memory. The story of a man of elven face who cried for death as he lay against a great tree.

He described to her a young dragon, whose scales were as dark as unused coal and had eyes the color of the deep seas; a dragon who could breathe underwater. The dragon was sent to the elf, in order to inquire about his sorrow. He asked many a time, but never did the elf answer.

Still, the dragon was not to be deterred and he began to spend his days at the elf's side. Years passed and finally they stood, together, and so was born the first rider.

If Kagome had not remembered the story, she would have snorted as Brom listed their happily ever after. The elf was content, the dragon found another who accepted its uniqueness, and all was well.

The tale took a turn for the worst as conflicts between elves and dragons grew plenty, and the dragon's mate and hatchlings were the victims of war.

In a rage, the dragon killed all who had a part in the deed, and flew off into the vast seas with its rider on its back, never to be seen again.

His retelling had changed from what she remembered; he spared her no harsh details and allowed her to make her own decision regarding the dragon and the elf.

When he had finished, he paused, allowing her to absorb the story. Then, he broached another, more personal subject. He spoke of Eragon; of the kind of man, her boyish friend had become. He told of the perseverance he displayed and his skill with a sword; even relaying tales of his foolishness. He stopped for several minutes to gulp down more water, and her eyes never left him as he did so.

Finally, after his words had died into nothing but whispers that clung to her eager ears, he finished. "And what has his bravery brought him? He killed Durza, but now he lies comatose, his dragon worries he will never awaken, and you are no longer at his side." He shook his head, wrapping the glass of water in her hand, "This will not be our last visit, Kagome."

He stood then, and walked to the door. She thought, for a moment, that he would speak again, but he did not. Instead, he knocked harshly, and the guard's face one again entered the window suspiciously

His eyes flashed to her, and the door opened. She watched his back retreat into a long hall, and then the door closed behind him, leaving her cold inside.

She stared after him, long after his footsteps had faded and the candles around her went out, leaving her in darkness.

Eventually, she was lulled to sleep by the sound of her own heartbeat.

* * *

_**i luv niki4444**_

:D Here's chapter 1!

I hope you guys like it andddddd I'll try my hardest to get another chapter out soon. ^_^

Review plz ;)

_\- Niki_


	3. Those Who Live

_"The emotion that can break your heart is sometimes the very one that heals it..." _

\- Nicholas Sparks

* * *

**_All That Remains _**

_Chapter 2: Those Who Live_

* * *

He was back.

Kagome tried to ignore his presence, but she found it so difficult! He was not the kind of man that made ignorance easy. His face was too stern, his eyes too grey, and his posture too rigid.

"Will you relax?" she finally muttered. Her voice was a hoarse whisper to her ears, but it she had not used it since the battle. She blamed that, and lack of water, for the negative impact.

Water.

She nudged away the small cup of it regretfully. 'They' replaced it sometimes, never looking surprised to find it full. The dwarf men that visited simply shot her a dirty look and wandered off… and he stared at her.

He never stopped staring – like now for instance. They stared at each other relentlessly, and it almost amazed her that she still did not know the man's name. She would have to get on that. "Not likely."

_Whatever. _They fell back into uncomfortable silence... She did not know how much time passed in the quiet, only that she was focusing on him: his steady breathing, his closed eyes, the leg that he had thrown out in front of him.

She could murder him so easily.

_I don't have time. Just let it go. _Letting it go definitely sounded like a good option. She had to think of more than just herself… she had to think of the people that were waiting for her.

With that thought in mind, she was finally able to let go of her obsessive staring and get onto bigger, better things – wallowing. It was becoming her _favoritest_ past time.

She was going bonkers; she knew it. She had grown used to counting seconds while in the company of Durza, but time passed oddly in a cell and her hours were running together. Somewhere in the time that Brom had left, she had started to unravel.

She could feel herself coming apart at the seams; memories popped up, terrifying her and slowly driving her insane. Sometimes, she swore that Durza stood before her, laughing. Others, Gunnar was there, begging for forgiveness. It broke her heart.

Yet, the memories and visions were only part of what led to her insanity. The emotions did her in. She never stopped worrying about Eragon and Brom, and could not bring herself to imagine them still caring about her. Now, though, she had renewed worries about the family she built within Galbatorix's empire. The first few weeks, she would have never thought that she would make friends there. Especially not the kind that she felt so strongly about. Yet, she had: Dewain, Melanie, Hannah, Gunnar… Serenity.

Images of them plagued her the most. Three of them were already in a bad boat with Galbatorix, but what would he do now that the Varden had her?

… What would he do to Carvahall?

Her breath caught in her throat, and she could barely swallow passed the lump that grew there.

_He will not touch them. _She told herself _He cannot touch them if he wants me back. _But there were so many what if's that went with that statement, and her overactive brain went through them all.

She had to distract herself.

She forced herself away from Carvahall – No one will touch them- and back to the more realistic threat.

It felt different now though, as if what happened to them did not mean as much as what happened to the people she grew up with. Still… she did care about them. Theirs was a bond forged through hellish conditions, and wise alliances.

* * *

_"Rider, where are you going?"_

_A smoky voice cut through the silence that embedded itself in her quarters. She cringed, but did not turn. Instead, she continued to pack her things into Cinder's saddlebags. "You know you aren't allowed in here." She teased. She packed away the rest of her necessities in a flash, and stepped away… straight into her commander. Before she could move, he grabbed her firmly by her waist. "Gunnar?" _

_"**Kagome**," he tried again, "where do you think you're going?" _

_She rolled her eyes, vaguely annoyed. She hated when he used that tone – he knew it too. "Cantos, by order of his majesty." She replied easily, and her hands moved to his in a useless attempt to pry them off. _

_"How long will you be gone?" _

_His voice tightened, and her lips twitched into a faint, teasing smile. "Awhile." _

_"**Rider**." _

_She ignored him, and again tried to free herself. It did not work. After a minute of straight failure, she sighed and gave up, "A week, at most." She tapped his fingers, and he loosened them, knowing what she wanted. That made her smile. She turned in his grasp, and her eyes locked with dark brown, "I'll be fine." He seemed more irritated than his voice gave credit. His eyebrow wrinkled, and his lips tugged into a pout. She ran her finger along his scar. "Really." _

_"Will you?" he scoffed, released her, and began to pace. "You've never killed before." _

_"I never mentioned killing." _

_He did not miss a beat, "That's what it is Rider… you're going to Cantos," he paused and added, "He asked the same of me, weeks ago, but I refused." _

_"I didn't realize you were in a position to refuse him anything." She snorted playfully, but her smile disappeared soon after, "Why did you do it?" _

_Again, he paused, and his eyes darted to hers. He raised an eyebrow, and his expression hinted on exasperation. His message rang loud a clear. _'Why do you think?'

_She swallowed, thinking back to weeks ago – what had her commander been doing? Then, it dawned on her, "Dewain." _

_"And you." _

_"Serenity kept me put together." She shook her head, and he scoffed a second time, "You didn't have to stay for us." _

_His arms crossed, and afternoon sun made him look like a silhouette as he stopped pacing in front of her large, plated window. She hesitantly went to his side, "It wasn't just for the two of you; I didn't want to take part in such mindless slaughter." His voice dropped into a low whisper, "I should have known you would be his next choice." He peered at her from the corner of his eye, and she could read his guilt. _

_"I don't blame you Gunnar," she finally replied after minutes of only hushed breathing. She sighed, reaching up on her tip toes to kiss his cheek, "I-" _

_The flash of silver in her peripherals ruined their most defining moment. He broke away from her; she took a step back. "Dewain? What are you doing here?" _

_"… I came to see you."_

* * *

Rough hands pulling her to her feet snapped her from her reverie. The chains around her wrists dug into her skin painfully, and both her stomach and knee protested against the sudden change in her posture.

Her face collided with a hard chest and hands closed around her wrists as the perpetrator released her from the chains. The restraints were only off long enough for him to tie rope in their place. Then, he pulled her away, and grabbed her arm and she caught sight of his face.

Her face formed into a scowl; of course, it was the man with grey eyes.

In that moment, dislike began to brew inside her, more wild and angry than even her hatred for Galbatorix – for it was uncrippled by fear. If the look in his eye was anything to go by, the feeling was mutual.

The door opened and in came the guard. He stood to the side, giving his surroundings weary glances. The man with grey eyes shoved her through the doorway, and her body teetered on the edge of balance. Then, it did not. Her weak knee smashed into the floor, and it was all she could do to keep a scream from passing her lips.

"Murtagh." The guard huffed reproachfully, "Be more gentle."

Her eyes spiked as she recognized the name he spoke, but she reacted in no other way. Having a name to pin to the cold, stern, face was not as helpful as she imagined. She struggled to her feet, stooping so low as to clutch Murtagh's arm. He shoved her off.

"As gentle as she was when she slaughtered _children _in Cantos?"

The little man – she had now deemed the guard a dwarf- had no answer for that. She saw his lips turn into a deep frown, causing his long beard to shift, and bushy eyebrows curled toward each other.

Kagome's lips curled into a deep frown, and she forced herself to hold back biting remarks. She had killed many innocent people that day, but not kids. Durza gave her this –unintentional- mercy when he joined the fray.

Even she drew a line somewhere.

"We need her walking."

Murtagh grabbed her arm, "Then she'll walk."

He shoved her again, and she steadied herself against the closest wall. _That's it. _If Cinder did not kill him first, she would get the job done. Her temper was flaring against her better judgment. She had to force herself not to attack him.

The rest of their walk was a test of wills. He seemed intent on making this walk unbearable for her, and she refused to give him the pleasure. She wore every bruise like a weapon, and held her chin high.

She barely noticed the beautiful structures they passed: the columns, carvings, and even the stone doorways that normally would have left her in awe.

Their reasons for releasing her from the dungeon could not be pure. Were they taking her to be publicly shamed? _No, that is something Galbatorix would do._ She thought, but a little voice in the back of her head assured her that the Varden could not be too different from the Capitol.

If there was another, obvious reason behind this escapade, she did not see it - that made her nervous. _Maybe Cinder is there. _She had enough control over her magic to allow their escape; she was sure of it… but only if he was near.

A lifetime passed before they reached the outside world. The dwarf guard threw open giant wooden doors, complete with painstakingly detailed engravings, and the bright sting of morning light stung her eyes.

Murtagh's hand still lay on her arm, and he jerked her into action. There were people everywhere… not just men in armour: women, children, farmers, merchants. They all glared at her just the same, and she realized that she was the enemy.

She had known it before, she supposed, but knowing and seeing are different things.

As if she truly needed another blow to her self-confidence, a man stepped forward. She met his eyes, albeit hesitantly, and wished that she had not. They burned hers; pain, sorrow, anger.

More than that, she recognized him… but from where?

His jaw clenched tightly, and she limped passed him with her chin pointed straight forward.

It was probably nothing. She had seen many people while in the capitol… but why would a man of the Varden be in _Urû'baen_?

They finally stopped walking at the outer rim of what she recognized as the battlefield. Bodies covered the area and the blood of men and Urgals ran together; all that remained of the hundreds or thousands of dead.

A crowd had gathered here, and she caught sight Eragon leaning on a man much larger than him. Murtagh began to lead her the other way, but she could not tear her eyes off the blood-soaked cloth covering his back. What _happened _to him?

Her leg screamed as she resisted Murtagh's lead, and, if she had looked, she would have noticed how he looked at her with grudging respect.

"Eragon!" She called, sounding worried even to her own ears. _Why is he standing when he's bleeding this badly? Do the Varden know nothing?_ A bunch of idiots, the lot of them!

Eragon turned, swaying a little and sent a small, surprised grin her way. "Kagome!"

The part of her that had decided she 'didn't care' about Eragon disappeared in that moment. As if a light had flickered on, warmth spread through her body, unheeded by vows of 'trying' to capture her former best friend. She had tried, she had failed… and now she was free of that vow.

He waved her over, as though she was not his enemy, and she limped toward him in response. Murtagh stopped her, and glanced between them. Finally, he wordlessly took a short knife from his belt and cut her hands free.

"Thank you." She left him, and went to her friend.

He remained silent, even as she to wrap her arms around Eragon's neck. He did not trust the girl, but he knew Eragon did. The look on his friend's face said it all. He struggled to lift his arms, frustrating him for several moments. Yet, stubbornness prevailed. His face rested on her shoulder, and Murtagh felt certain the boy would cry.

Kagome buried her face in his neck, murmuring, "Eragon." And receiving a simple, "You're back."

"_Your _**back**." She replied irritably, and pulled away. Then, she glared at him sternly, "Why are you walking around with an injury like that?"

He winced, and she finally noticed how red his face was. She settled her cold hand on his forehead and chewed on her bottom lip worriedly, "Eragon you're burning up."

"I'm fine," he insisted, "besides, Brom's returning."

She had not known he left.

Kagome tried not to let her surprise show on her face. "Couldn't you wait?" _Until you aren't dying?_ she added.

"Not really." He replied sheepishly.

She scoffed. _Leave it to Eragon. _She froze, and her eyes widened as she realized just who she was acting so familiar towards. _Shit. _

She had to stop this now; before she became too comfortable… she knew that. Yet, she could not tear herself away from him.

"You look so different." He said quickly, hoping to turn her attention from his injury. He was not lying either. She looked different; her freckles had disappeared, along with the scar that had once adorned her cheek. It was a souvenir from one of their many 'adventures'. Her long black hair had grown passed her waist and looked soft, despite the crusted over dried blood, dirt, and grease. He did not remember her cheekbones standing so prominent before either, and her eyes seemed different… more catlike.

She smiled, just a little, and he decided he did not mind the change – even if he did prefer his Kagome. "As do you."

She felt uncomfortable as he inspected her closely, and shifted on her feet. Thankfully, his attention changed forms only a second later, his eyes brightened, and a faint smile pulled at his lips. "Saphira."

His dragon emerged from a tunnel, stunningly blue and elegantly shaped. She was beautiful, Kagome would admit it… but not as beautiful as Cinder.

He followed close behind her, and was much bigger. His scales shone bright as glass, and he towered over the other dragon. If she did not know better, she may have thought he was showing off. He held himself taller than usual, and his chest was puffed out pridefully.

He did not notice her, so she reached out with her mind. His clear, undrugged mind surprised her, as she slipped into the connection unheeded. Why was he not drugged? Why was he walking around the Varden?

Why were the majority of them acting as though it was normal?

She did not think of it long, the overwhelming surge of happiness that connecting brought forth distracted her. His eyes found hers in the crowd and she could feel the smugness radiating from his form.

She smiled faintly. _Cinder, there you are. _

_I've been worried about you. _He answered, _They told me their drugs would keep you asleep for a few days._

_How much time has passed since the battle? _

_Four days. _

_What about your morning dosage? _

_They're giving it to me. _He chuckled, _I'm fine, really. _

She rolled her eyes, but relaxed a little. It had not been as bad as she assumed. Beside her, Eragon was staring into space. _Do I look like that when we're talking? _

Smoke puffed from Cinder's snout. _Worse. _

_Great. _

Someone yelled, "Here they come!" and the area around them quieted immediately. Kagome swallowed hard.

Men came into view. There were five in total, and among them Brom and Ajihad led side by side. One man wore a helmet, and the final two were identical, tall, and bald.

She froze. _The Twins! _She stepped away from Eragon. She looked away from them long enough to register his confusion and the soft look in his eye. When she turned back; they were staring at her. Eragon took hold of her hand, "Hey it's alright. Brom doesn't blame you for what happened near the waterfall."

_How does he know about the waterfall? _Brom must have told him about his near death experience.

She pulled her hand away, and focused on Brom, or more specifically on the large, purple sword that lay on his hip: Enāmbracr.

If the Twins were looking at her suspiciously, she knew she was in deeper trouble than she had thought. Galbatorix's hold on her was weak, and he had done it on purpose. An experiment on 'loyalty', he had told her. If Galbatorix suspected that her imprisonment was something else... we would start killing her friends. Their agreement about Carvahall would be null and void!

She swallowed thickly, and concentrated on her magic. She had just enough for a low key ice spell under her control. One chance; no distractions. _Cinder._

_I am ready. _He knew they had to leave, and he was on the same page. Clearly, she loved him for a reason.

The group was getting closer, and she began to anticipate them. Inwardly, she planned how she would take the sword, analyzed how long it would take to get to Cinder and make it back to the cave entrance, decided on who she would take out of she had to.

... When, out of the haze, shapes began to take form behind them. Five of them. They slunk into place behind them, and even at the distance they were spaced, Kagome knew they were Urgals.

Urgals wielding weapons; Urgals that rose those weapons to attack.

_No. _

A scuffle began, picking up dust, and causing chaos to break out around them.

Kagome panicked. She could save him; she could save all of them. She could… but, no distractions; she did not have the magic for it. She had to escape. She had to get away.

Brom…

Someone screamed, and she dove into action.

In armour, she was unnaturally fast, but out of it, she was deadly. She was in the fray before any of them knew what was happening. Including her.

Her fist slammed into the Urgal that went for Brom, and she turned swiftly to grab Enāmbracr from his waist. Undbitr lay beside it, so she felt no grief over leaving him without a weapon.

She barely had time to turn back before the Urgal she had knocked down was attacking again. She dodged his poorly aimed club and slashed through his arm. "Gwinda." she hissed, pushing him off balance. She finished him.

Another was coming at her, too quickly to dodge. "Isheim dareagh." From her hand shone blinding white and the Urgal fell. A spear made from ice protruded from its stomach. The magic left her drained, and she desperately wished that more of her power had come back.

She beheaded the next Urgal that came too close, and they were finished. Brom had not been as defenseless as she assumed, having taken down two himself.

She gave herself that moment to inspect him for injuries, and –thankfully- noticed only a growing bruise covering most of his forearm.

One chance, no distractions… it was gone. Carvahall... her brothers, her parents...

_It's better this way. _Cinder comforted, but it fell on deft ears.

_He's going to kill everyone I care about. How is that better than **anything**? _

He said something, but she was not listening anymore because she realized that the words she spoke were not quite true. Not everyone was going to die.

Brom was safe, Eragon was fixable, Cinder could last.

Somehow, that reassured her.

_Kagome, turn around._

She cringed.

Her dragon's voice sounded awed, and Brom's eyes were locked on something over her shoulder. His mouth had fallen open slightly.

Kagome took a deep breath, and turned; she wished that she had not.

Blood covered the already stained ground, pooling around not an Urgal, but a man. Ajihad.

And the bag that Galbatorix had entrusted to her lay on the ground beside Ajihad's unmoving arm…

From it, came a dragon.

_What the hell?_

* * *

_**i luv niki4444 **_

Sommmmeeeettttimmmessss I feeeelllllllll likkkkkeeeeeeee a BIRD.

Yes. Sometimes I feel like a bird. 0_0

xD So here it is! Finally a new chapter 3 Sorry if I'm a little weird here in the author's note. ...I waited to write this part until AFTER I saw an episode of Corpse Party.

Thank you guys so much for reading! I have to start my essay now, but I'll hopefully be able to update again somewhere 2-4 weeks. I actually might just write a chapter for something else right now... take a break from homework haha. xD

Please review telling me what you thought and OH can you guess who the dragon will be matched with? :P

_-Niki _


	4. Au UGH NO

4/17/15

Alright guys here's the deal.

My computer broke down. V_V I have a new one already but that is no longer the issue... the problem is that every document on my old computer is now gone.

Hours upon hours and months upon MONTHS of work has been lost. Most of my research for my original books, fanfiction ideas, character developments... it's all gone. That includes the update that I had for this story.

I was around half done with the update before all this happened, but now I'm going to have to restart from scratch.

I'm trying to look at this as an opportunity to make things better, but it's just hitting so hard. I had so many things ready to update. I had REVISIONS that I was going to spam my account with. Holy crap I had forgotten about those... I can't even deal with that right now.

*Sigh* It could take a bit longer to get the update out. I've got finals coming up and speeches to prepare for. I don't like leaving this story hanging for another two weeks, but it looks like it has to be done. D:

Sorry guys, I'll try to find time to work on the update as soon as possible.

Until then, I LOVE YOU ALL!

4/24/15

THINGS ARE CHANGING MY DEARS :DDDDD Evan says he can get my files back! Which means I might have to redo it after all.

The only problem is that I wouldn't get the chapter back until this summer, so I wanted to ask what you all thought. Should I just redo the chapter? Or should I write out the rest of the chapter, write another chapter, and MAYBE a third - then upload those after I get my files back... that would be around May 20th.

Please tell me what you think and I'll get another chapter out... when you guys choose. ;)

_\- Niki_


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